Perhaps, the actors thought, it was for the screens. But, 35 years down the line, what Prince Akeem said in the 1988 classic comedy “Coming to America” has played out in real life.
Prince Akeem, played by Eddie Murphy, jokingly referenced the outcome of a football game that turned out to be how the Giants beat the Packers, 24-22, at MetLife Stadium on Monday night.
“Sir, I was wondering, did you happen to catch the professional football contest on television last night?” Prince Akeem asked his boss, Cleo McDowell (played by John Amos).
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“No, I didn’t,” McDowell replied.
“Oh, it was most exhilarating. The Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay and in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a Big H,” Akeem said. “It was a most ripping victory.”
Movies and shows often predict future events, and the 1988 film “Coming to America” did exactly that three decades ahead of the Packers-Giants game on Monday.
ESPN commentator Robert Griffin III pointed out the prediction, citing the film’s accuracy in depicting the game held at night—a detail not always guaranteed, as reported by the New York Post.
The recent Monday night game between the Giants and Packers marked the first meeting on “Monday Night Football” for the two NFL franchises since 1983, as reported by ESPN. “Coming To America,” which predicted the outcome of the recent game, debuted five years after the 1983 matchup.
The fact that two revered NFL teams like the Giants and Packers went 40 years without facing each other on “Monday Night Football” is described as almost unfathomable.
The Giants secured a victory on Monday night with a 37-yard field goal by Randy Bullock as time expired, echoing the scene predicted by Prince Akeem in “Coming to America.”
The game-winning drive was led by rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, who navigated the Giants down the field, trailing by one point. Bullock’s successful kick not only sealed the upset but also marked the team’s third consecutive win.
